This is for you if you like novels set on Nantucket, mutligenerational tales, and stories of women finding peace with themselves and their family history. Gable has used her setting effectively- you'll get a real sense of the place. Even better, she's created two wonderful characters in Bess and Cissy. These two have conflicts to resolve. I liked the use of the guest book to tell the story of the house and its inhabitants. There's nothing especially surprising here but it's well written and relaxing- the sort of novel you'll settle down with happily on the beach, the porch, or the airplane (or the couch on a rainy day!) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Quirky, awkward, and very enduring heroine and her opposite opposing mother make a entertaining duo in this family of fighters novel. It all comes together beautifully in the end tho. With awesome descriptions of Nantucket from the past and present, what more can you ask for?

THE BOOK OF SUMMER by Michelle Gable is a wonderful story centred on family, secrets, and the connections one can forge with a special place in their lives.

When Cliff House is close to being reclaimed by the water, Bess Codman is forced to return home to try and persuade her eccentric mother, Cissy, to leave the house to its fate and leave peacefully - a job which is much easier said than done. As mother and daughter begin to get to know each other more, we start to understand that Cliff House is so much more than a house - it is their history, their memories, and their secrets.

Switching from the past to the present, with the help of newspaper articles and entries into the Book of Summer (a book where everyone who visits the home leaves an entry), a story of two generations unfolds, which will make you nostalgic and consider your own family history.

In THE BOOK OF SUMMER by Michelle Gable, the writing is truly beautiful, and the setting really shines brightly in this story, equally matched by its colourful characters. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed THE BOOK OF SUMMER by Michelle Gable, and look forward to reading more from this author.

not my cup of tea .... sorry. I found the book uninteresting despite the fact that it had all the elements I normally enjoy. The characters did not interest me and I found the mother more of a caricature. I did not finish the book and did not put up a review - not every book is for every person.

*** 3.5/5: Liked it to the edge of love- a stage 1 crush

A must-read for any Jane Eyre fan, Mr. Rochester gives us another perspective of the classic novel.



Recommended readers:

If you like women's fiction and family drama
If you want a slow and steady read that spans generations
If you like Michelle Gable
Here's my Rankings:

5/5 for characters
4/5 for plot
5/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

The Book of Summer spans three generations of Nantucket women - and the family home Cliff House, which takes in the stories of all three women. A fun-loving but emotional story, Bess is going through a modern-day divorce and travels back to Nantucket to attend her cousin's wedding. From here unfolds Bess's story and the unique stories of her kooky mother and respected grandmother Ruby, as the family fights to save Cliff House.

Available May 9: The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable

Enjoyable beachy read set in Nantucket with lots of family secrets and drama! It's also dual-timelined with stories in each period revolving around Cliff House, which is a marvelous, 99 year-old summer home slowly losing its life from erosion. It's so meaningful to each generation and Cissy, the eccentric matriarch of modern line, just doesn't want to let go. Her daughter Bess is going through a trying time of her own but grows to see the true feelings Cliff House invokes when she discovers a guest book -"the book of summer" - started with the home's inception. This aspect of the book was genius!! The historical parts were for me the most moving and interesting, but overall a good read that I would recommend!

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Dunne/St Martin's Press for an ARC for review purposes!**

Daughter (Bess) returns to Nantucket to encourage mom (Cissy) to move out of Cliff House, their summer home, before it falls off a bluff and into the ocean.

Based on real info about the erosion on Nantucket Island (www.nantucketerosion.com).

While packing up the house, Bess comes across a scrapbook of sorts. When the family first bought the property in 1914, her grandmother created "A Book of Summer" so that she and the family's guests could record their stays and activities while at the house. This made me smile as it reminds me of a book at my friend, Patti's, cabin! With her divorce almost finalized, Bess runs into Evan, her high school sweetheart. As the story continues, alternating between the present and the 1940s during the life of Bess' grandmother, Ruby, lots and lots of family secrets are revealed. How will they be received?

Cissy is an absolute hoot, and I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. This would make the perfect read for a beach escape.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Cliff House is on a bluff in Sconst, Nantucket but it's falling into the sea. Bess travels back there to help her mother pack and to get her to leave. But then she rediscovers the family guestbook. Family, great characters and a wonderful story.

A great beach read!

Returning to her family home in Nantucket, Bess is shocked to see that Cliff House is just about to fall into the ocean. Years of erosion have taken most of the surrounding land is now threatening the house. But Bess's mother, Cissy, is not about to give up. She'll try anything to save this old house.

But this book is about three generations of women and their love of this house. It flashes back to Ruby, Bess's grandmother and her struggles during WWII.

I loved this book. It had everything. I couldn't put it down. I was engrossed in the stories of these three women and their lives. I can't recommend it enough!

Review will be posted the week of 5/18/17

Dr. Bess Codman is going through a really, really bad divorce. She returns to Sconset, Nantucket at her father's request to help get her mother, Cissy, out of their beach house. Cliff House, which at one time was a beautiful mansion on the bluff, is now, essentially, falling into the sea due to erosion. Cissy needs to bid the house farewell, but she can't seem to as it has been in her family for generations. She wants to find a way to save the house. While trying to pack up the place, Bess comes across The Book of Summer, which is the guestbook that her great-grandmother started to highlight each summer at Cliff House. Bess is totally absorbed by her grandmother and great-grandmother's tales along with other guests of the house. Flashbacks to her grandmother, Ruby, who loved Cliff House tremendously, fill in the gaps of their family history along with highlighting some family secrets. Michelle Gable's The Book of Summer is a multi-generational saga that has it all if you enjoy how history and the present can intertwine to reveal an interesting story.

Bess' divorce is literally a nightmare in The Book of Summer. Seriously. Her husband is a monster and where better than to seek refuge and get her ducks in a row than at her family's beautiful beach home on Nantucket. Except there's one problem. The house is slowly slipping into the sea and while most people would cut their losses, Cissy is determined to save the house. Bess is here to talk some sense into her mother, but while here, she sort of delves into her family's past when perusing The Book of Summer. She also has a lot of personal things to sort out and the reemergence of her high school boyfriend also complicates matters.

Cissy is quite the character in The Book of Summer. She's fierce, she's stubborn, and she's a force of nature. While she isn't always practical, you have to appreciate her determination. I found myself really interested in her back story, which is eventually revealed in the novel's flashbacks.

The character that I was really drawn to in The Book of Summer was Cissy's mother, Ruby, whose story we learn about through not only the entries in The Book of Summer, but also flashbacks to the time surrounding WWII. I adored Ruby and whenever her narrative was over, I found myself wishing it could go back to it. Ruby's story not only highlights female strength during difficult times, but it also provides a lot of insight into what Bess' family endured during WWII and the secrets they held onto for many years.

The setting of Nantucket was perfect for The Book of Summer and the idea of gorgeous homes being destroyed due to erosion is based on real-life events on Nantucket. I especially loved the flashbacks to WWII and the home in its heyday. The parties on the lawn, the big bands, the gorgeous views, and the simple beauty of a gorgeous summer day is captured expertly by Gable.

If you enjoy historical beach reads that focus on family, you'll love The Book of Summer. I especially appreciated how the past intertwined with the present and the message of female strength throughout the novel. I definitely recommend this one!

Bess Codman’s life has turned upside down. She is a beautiful, smart ER doctor in San Francisco embroiled in an unexpected and bitter divorce and has flown back to Nantaucket to stay at her family’s summer home called Cliff House. Her eccentric, bizarre mother is there trying to save their historic home as the nearby cliffs erode into the sea. (One interesting point is that these cliffs did erode in real life!) The danger is threatening and her mother’s behavior is beyond passionate and borderline schizophrenic. Bess has flown across the country to convince her mother to pack up and also attend her favorite cousin’s wedding, in the interim spilling the beans about her impending divorce. Her childhood sweetheart, adorable and perfect magically appears by her side to console, assist and rekindle long ago highschool feelings. The story is alternately narrated in the past by her grandmother Ruby, for whom Cliff House held great historical importance, and Bess dealing with present dangers and dramas. This third novel by Michelle Gable was my least favorite. (I devoured her other two!) Although I liked the idea and setting, I found the characters unrealistic and situations improbable. Some of you may enjoy this as a light summer read but it was no vacation for me, I couldn’t wait for it to end.

Another wonderful story by the author of A Paris apartment and I'll see you in Paris, this time set in Nantucket about a family and a house. This is her best yet. Charming and very easy to read with dimension and scope. Loved it

I received this book "The Book of Summer" from Netgalley for my honest review.

I'm thinking that this book was not for me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the story itself. By the time I got halfway through I started skimming. It just didn't hold my interest. I have to say this was a dnf for me.

I enjoy Michelle Gable's The Book of Summer. The dual storyline which switched back and forth from the 1940s to the present day was very easy to read and held my interest.

I found myself almost wishing that the present day parts would go by faster because I just loved the parts about Ruby and her life during that era. She led a very interesting life leading up the war, during and after. I think she was my favorite character.

Bess was rather a conundrum for me. Here she was, a successful physician, pretty much ordered by her father to show up early for a wedding so she can pack up her mother and the house that's been in their family for 99 years. She obviously had to be a strong person in order to become a physician, yet she couldn't stand up to anyone in her family. At all!

Cissy, for some reason I just did not care for her at all. Maybe it was the way she felt she could just push and push until she got her own way. I don't know, but had I been able to get into her character more I'd have really liked the book a lot better.

Character development and strong storylines are definitely two of the author's strengths and she definitely did a wonderful job with that in The Book of Summer. Honestly I could have read the book of summer, entry after entry because it was the best part! What a fun book that would make!

If you like beach settings, family dramas and historical novels, this is definitely for you. Give it a try!

I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an early copy! I'll be looking forward to Ms. Gable's next book.

The cover art captivated my attention....however, the story line captured me completely. I loved this novel. Thank you for sharing it w/ me.

Read to about 50% but just wasn't feeling it or enjoying it. Got tired of Bess and Cissie and the house problem. Didn't like the language and in many parts of the book there was too much dialogue. While many readers have enjoyed this, it may be a case of "just not for me'. I was drawn in by the title and the cover.

Mrs. Gable is consistent with her writing. You always end up with an interesting story, told with beautiful writing, and masterfully executed dual storyline.
The Book of Summer it's a really entertaining read. Beautifully paced with characters that shine, and a great style. I loved the setting of the story, but I loved most was a certain summery atmosphere throughout. This might be the perfect beach read.

Great idea - not so great execution. I just could not get connected to this story or the characters and could not finish the book.

I started this day thinking I'd get some housework done, but I started reading Michelle Gable's new novel coming out soon and completely got sucked in! I spent the entire day reading! That doesn't happen often and I'm so glad it did!

"The Book of Summer" is a perfect read for me. It has a lot of family between the pages, an old house, family history and an island full of wonderful characters. Cissy was my favorite. She's an older woman who is about to lose her home to the ocean and is not accepting of that at all! The talk between her and her daughter made me laugh and cry at the same time! The storyline is full of family and moves back and forth between current time and the 1940's (mostly) and the author really plays on the reader's emotions in both time periods.

Unfortunately, I've read all of this author's books, so I guess I'll just have to wait until her next book comes out! I'll be looking forward to it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this early. I've been excited about this book.

This is a very richly layered book.
This tells a much bigger story than a summer at the beach.

The Cliff house has belonged to the Young family for 99 years. The house is filled with memories, many good, just as many bad.
Ruby's story takes place during the 30's-40's. She begins a happy, hopeful newlywed. Soon, the war starts and Ruby's entire life changes.
In almost present day, Cissy is fighting with all of her might to save the home from the erosion that threatens in. Her adult daughter Bess, very worried about her mom's safety, is begging Cissy to pack up and move out.

At first I had trouble with the story switching between not only Bess/Cissy and Ruby but also the diary entries. But the Book of Summer really does serve as a physical reminder of all the memories made at this home.

I thought the storyline's pace picked up a lot in last third of the book.
You really have to feel for the women in the book spending so much time alone (or with each other) in the Cliff House. They had to be strong and brave in ways that barely seemed fair. At the best of times, the Cliff House only had husbands around on weekends and holidays. At the worst times if the war, the women were left entirely to their own devices.

I can see why it would be so devastating to think of parting with this house. The home itself was practically a character in this story.